Can draining means



April 1938- L. M. DURAND 2,113,268

CAN DRAINING MEANS Filed Sept. 4,- 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l [NIKE/V70)? A55 M DUE/4N0 April 5, 1938., M DURAND 2,113,268

. CAN DRAINING MEANS Filed Sept. 4, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE 10 Claims.

My invention relates to a can draining means and to a process of canning fish.

The objects of my invention are: First, to provide means of this class whereby open cans, or other containers, while being conveyed through a cooking means, or from place to place, are tilted or turned upside down at predetermined points and drained of undesirable liquids;

Second, to provide means of this class which is particularly simple and economical of construction and operation, durable and which will not readily get out of order, and a means of this class which may be readily embodied in and operated with apparatus now in use;

Third, to provide means of this class in which the cans or other containers are tightly but resiliently held against a rotating drum during the passage of the cans against and over the drum; 90 Fourth, to provide a means of this class, which may be readily adjusted to receive and drain many sizes of cans or other containers;

Fifth, to provide a means of this class which is so arranged that open top cans are moved with their open sides into engagement with a rotating drum with least effort and danger of spilling or disturbing the contents; and,

Sixth, to provide a novel process of canning fish.

With the above and other objects in View, I have devised a can drainingmeans having certain novel features of construction, as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of a fish cooker or exhaust box in one form, showing my draining means embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of my draining means taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken at 33 of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are respectively enlarged fragmentary section, elevation, and section at 66 of Fig. 4, of means for resiliently and adjustably mounting the can positioning means on the rotating drum, Fig. 4, showing the relation thereof to the can conveyor.

Like characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the views of the drawings.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a cooker or exhaust box I, a cooler 2, and a second exhaust box or reheater 3. These three units are all secured together as a continuous apparatus and enclosed substantially in a single enclosure l with compartments 4a, 4b and 40. Through this. enclosure, and the several compartments thereof, extends a continuous conveyor 5, the conveyor extending up and down in a zig-zag manner over sprockets 6 mounted in each of the compartments. These sprockets are mounted in pairs on shafts l, which, or some of which, are driven at one end by a drive shaft 8 through suitable means, such as bevel gears 9. The conveyor consists of a pair of sprocket chains it between which extend and are suspended long and transverse racks or trays I I. These trays are secured to the lower ends of arms I2 which are pivotally mounted on and de-' pend from the sprocket chains Ill.

Although the units are secured together, they are thermally separated by suitable double walls through which the conveyor may extend freely when passing through the enclosure.

The cans are fed onto the trays from a trans verse feed conveyor ZI by suitable known means. As the cans travel through the several compartments, the contents of the cans are subjected in sequence to a cooking operation, cooling and re-J heating. After going through the reheater 3, the cans are discharged on to a conveyor 22. A suitable sauce is then added to the contents of the cans, and the cans are then sealed by any suitable means. The cooling after cooking promotes. shrinking of the fish which is desirable to secure a firm and not too dry a pack.

In the cooker I and reheater 3 I have provided can draining means A, B and C for draining the liquid from the cans during the process of cooking and reheating. Each draining means is the same in construction; I will therefore describe one only.

Each draining device or means is located in the place of one set of the upper sprockets t. The draining device or means is supported essentially on a pair of large sprockets 3i which are mounted on a shaft 32. Around these sprockets extend the sprocket chains ID of the conveyor 5, which chains carry the trays I I. On the adjacent sides of these sprockets are mounted outwardly radiating arms 33. To the outer ends of each pair of opposed arms is secured a lateral element, panel or tray 34 which is positioned opposite and directly inwardly from a tray II carried by the sprocket chains ID. The trays 3d are so spaced apart circumfe'rentially and with respect to the trays II that a tray 34 will always fall opposite a tray II, so that a row of cans 35, will be held between such opposed trays. The trays 34 form with each other a cylinder which I have herein referred to as a drum.

The trays I! approach the drum from the underside and preferably near the lowest portion of the drum, so that, as the trays I I approach the drum, the open-top cans thereon are pressed, directly with their open upper sides, into the corresponding tray on the lower side of the drum. An idler sprocket 36 directs each sprocket chain l0 toward the sprockets 3! so that the cans are forced and held against the lower trays of the drum. Another idler 3'! is adapted to hold the cans against the trays of the drum as long as possible and to facilitate the direction of the trays I I back to a horizontal position.

In order to hold the cans tightly between the trays to prevent spilling the contents of the cans, and in order to adapt the apparatus to different shapes and sizes of cans or containers, I have provided a special mounting for the arms 33 on the sprockets. This mounting consists of slide blocks 36, secured to the inner sides of the sprockets, and adapted slidably to support the inner ends of the arms 33, which arms are forced radially outwardly by compression springs 31 positioned between the outer ends of the slide blocks and the outer ends of the slots through which the slide blocks extend. The slide blocks 36 are adjustable radially on the sprockets by screws 38 which extend through longitudinal slots in the slide blocks.

In order to prevent slipping or displacement of the cans when positioned between the trays H and 34, both of these traysare preferably provided with angular flanges at the edges, which flanges are directed toward the opposite tray.

In order to facilitate draining of the cans, the trays 34 are preferably perforated as shown. At the interior of the drum is located a funnel 4| for catching the liquids or juices drained from the cans.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction of my draining means and a certain embodiment or adaptation thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the same, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement, and process, substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism of the class described a rotatable drum having circumferentially spaced elements extending transversely thereacross and radially adjustably mounted thereon, and a belt conveyor movable around and with the drum and coaxial therewith and provided with can supporting racks positioned transversely with respect to the drum and. in opposed relation to the elements on the drum, said racks adapted to support cans thereon and hold the same against said elements.

2. In a mechanism of the class described a rotatable drum having circumferentially spaced elements extending transversely thereacross and radially resiliently mounted thereon, and a belt conveyor movable around and with the drum and coaxial therewith and provided with can supporting racks positioned transversely with respect to the drum and in opposed relation to the elements on the drum, said racks adapted to support cans thereon and resiliently press the same against said elements.

3. In mechanism of the class described a rotatable drum having circumferentially spaced elements extending transversely thereacross and radially adjustably and resiliently mounted thereon, and a belt conveyor movable around and with the drum and coaxial therewith and provided with can supporting racks positioned transversely with respect to the drum and in opposed relation to the elements on the drum, said racks adapted to support cans thereon and resiliently press the same against said elements.

4. In a mechanism of the class described, a drum rotatably mounted on a substantially horizontal axis, and a belt conveyor, a portion only thereof movable concentrically around and with the drum and provided with can supporting racks positioned parallel to the drum and adapted to support open-top cans thereon, said conveyor approaching said drum from the underside of the drum for moving the open uppersides of the cans into and holding the same in engagement with the rotating drum.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, a. hollow drum, a belt conveyor extending therearound and provided with racks adapted to support open top cans, said cans adapted to engage said drum with the open top and adapted to be tilted by said drum for draining the cans, and means wholly within the hollow drum for catching the liquid drained from the cans.

6. In a mechanism of the class described, a rotatable foraminous drum, a belt conveyor extending around and movable in synchronism with said drum, and provided with racks adapted to support open top cans, the open tops of said cans engaging the foraminous surface of the drum and adapted to be tilted thereby for draining the liquid from the cans when the latter are rotated with the drum.

'7. In a mechanism of the class described, a movable foraminous-surfaoe drainer, a belt conveyor extending over the top of and movable 1n synchronism with the drainer and provided with racks adapted to support open top cans, the open tops of said cans engaging the foraminous surface of the drainer and held and inverted thereagainst by the conveyor for draining theliquld from the cans when the latter are moved with the drainer.

8. In a mechanism of the class described, a drum, and a belt conveyor extending therearound and provided with racks adapted to support open top cans, said cans adapted to engage said drum with the open top and adapted to be tilted by said drum for draining the cans.

9. In a mechanism of the class described, a continuous conveyor carrying can supporting racks for supporting open top cans, and movable draining means, said conveyor extending around and movable with and over the top of said means, said racks being tilted by the draining means to a position opposite the latter, and the cans on the racks being forced with their open tops against said means, for tilting the cans.

10. In a mechanism of the class described, a chamber, a continuous conveyor extending circuitously therethrough and carrying depending can supporting racks, for conveying cans from the entrance to the exit of the chamber, and draining means in said chamber in association with and movable with said conveyor and racks, and so constructed and arranged that said racks and cans carried on said racks are inverted with the upper portions of the cans against and temporarily held by said means. I

LEE M. DURAND. 

